Dr Lall Sawh: Avinash is no relation

CONSULTANT urological surgeon Dr Lall Sawh said he has fallen victim to the racist rant of another doctor with the same surname, and wants to make it clear that he is separate and distinct from the junior Sawh.

He declared, "I regret I have to share the same surname with him, although we are not related."

Sawh, 69, who has had a long career introducing revolutionary treatment in his field, said people are mistaking him for Dr Avinash Sawh.

The latter who was caught making racist, obscene and discriminatory comments in voice meassages that were circulated on social media.

Avinash Sawh has since apologised for his outburst, which was widely condemned and triggered bodies governing the medical profession to act. He has also apologised to the police for calling them "dunce," uneducated and poor.

Lall Sawh said later on Wednesday that apology is doing him no good.

“It is affecting my practice. People are mistaking me for him,” he told the Newsday.

Even on one of the local radio stations on Wednesday a caller had to make the distinction for an announcer, who mixed up the two doctors.

Lall Sawh complained, “Up until this morning, one of my patients told me he was advised by a colleague not to see me. The patient said he was told, ‘Don’t go to that doctor. That doctor racist too bad.'

“It is affecting me and I want to make it clear Dr Avinash Sawh is neither my son nor my relative.

“If fact I would like to distance myself from Dr Avinash Sawh. I absolutely abhor his statements and I think his behaviour is despicable.”

Avinash Sawh’s apology came on the same day the Medical Board (TTMB) was scheduled to meet and discuss the issue.

An executive member of the Society of Surgeons, Dr Lall Sawh introduced the concept of keyhole surgery to TT and in 1988 became the first doctor in the Caribbean to transplant a kidney from a live donor to a recipient.